Notes: At first
thought to be a modification of the SKS, it now appears that the Type 63 is an
original, though rather strange design.The Type 63 was designed in the early 1960s specifically to give the
People’s Militia forces a bit more firepower without having to make a lot more
(and more expensive, in real-life terms at the time) Type 56 series assault
rifles, and also to give them a design which was simple enough that they could
make it themselves in backyard machine shops if necessary.The Type 63 is therefore a rather simple weapon with a rather crude
appearance and questionable quality.

The Type 63 is
semiautomatic and gas-operated; the gas system is simple, not quite like that of
the SKS, and not quite like that of the Type 56 assault rifle; but not exactly a
blend of the two, either.The Type
63 (as standard) is fed by 15-round steel magazines which are proprietary and
will not fit into AK-series weapons despite having the same dimensions and
holding the same ammunition.The
magazines may also be topped off by loading them using stripper clips through
the top of the receiver.The Type
63 has a knife-type bayonet which folds back underneath the barrel, and is
otherwise permanently attached.Construction of the Type 63 is normally heavy (though there was
considerable variation sometimes), with heavy steel metalwork and rather crude
hardwood furniture.Sights normally
consisted of a hooded front post and a tangent leaf adjustable rear.The 20.45-inch barrel’s bore is almost always unchromed, as is the
chamber.Though the Type 63 was not
built with selective-fire capability, Chinese soldiers quickly found out that if
you grind down the sear in just the right way, you can gain automatic fire
capability in the Type 63.(The
side effect of this modification is that the bolt catch no longer works.)

Though the Type
63 was meant to be fed only by that special 15-round box magazine, crafty
militiamen quickly discovered that if the bolt catch is ground down, removed, or
modified, the Type 63 can in fact accept AK and RPK-type magazines and drums.

The Type 68 is
sort of an “AKM version” of the Type 63; it uses a stamped steel receiver, has a
few other minor modifications, and is in general less crude in its construction.Many were in fact factory-built, and most actually have a plastic
handguard.The Type 68 also has
selective-fire capability designed into it.The Type 68 has an adjustable gas regulator with two positions, allowing
the shooter to keep the weapon functioning when conditions do not allow him to
clean the weapon often enough or when he has to fire lots of ammunition in a
short period of time.The gas
regulator does not eliminate the need for cleaning; it merely keeps the Type 68
going a bit longer.

The Type 73
updated the pattern further; the Type 73 can accept AK and RPK-type magazines
and drums as standard.

Twilight 2000
World: As the Twilight War wore on, more and more of these weapons were modified
to use AK magazines.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Type 63

7.62mm Kalashnikov

3.49 kg

15 (Possibly More)

$839

Type 68

7.62mm Kalashnikov

3.26 kg

15 (Possibly More)

$839

Type 73

7.62mm Kalashnikov

3.26 kg

15, 30, 40, 75 Drum

$844

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Type 63

SA

4

2-3-Nil

7

4

Nil

62

Type 68

5

4

2-3-Nil

6

4

10

62

Type 73

5

4

2-3-Nil

6

4

10

62

Norinco CQ

Notes: Sometimes
called the Type CQ, M-311, or Type 311, this is a rather crude Chinese copy of
the M-16A1.It differs from that
rifle only in minor details, such as the handguards and the more rounded
appearance of the furniture of the weapon.This weapon has been seen in the hands of Muhajedin fighters in
Afghanistan (though virtually all of them seem to have disappeared by the time
of the December 2002 US invasion), but appears to have been initially designed
for export to western nations.
However, the CQ’s largest customer to date has been Iran, who have issued it to
some of their troops and have also used it as the base for their two new assault
rifles.

The CQ-A is a
copy of the M-4A1 carbine, again rumored to be manufactured without a license.The planform is virtually identical to a “real” M-4A1, and quality is
said to be much better than that of the CQ rifle.The rifling twist is such that is can stabilize both M-193 and SS-109
cartridges.It can accept
handguards with MIL-STD-1913 rails, and one is atop the carbine, with a carrying
handle attached to it.With or
without the rails, the CQ-A can accept several underbarrel grenade launchers
(the Paraguayans use a Chinese copy of the M-203). The CQ-A is known to be used
by the DECEI special ops unit of the Paraguayan Army.

The Chinese have
been selling this rifle on the international civilian and police market; their
real-life price is less than a comparable AR-15A1 or A2.This version is known as the CQ 311-1 or CQ M-311-1.Importation of the CQ 311-1 into the US has been prohibited since 1989;
however, the US company of DPMS Panther Arms manufactures them for sale in
Europe, sold through the Italian company of Nuova Jager. A semiautomatic version
of the CQ-A is also sold by Norinco, and it too cannot be imported into the US.

Twilight 2000
Notes: In addition to an occasional sighting in Afghanistan, the CQ was often
seen in the hands of North Korean infiltrators, as well as being used by Thai
troops.

Merc 2000 Notes:
In a weapons market glutted by real M-16s, the CQ is mostly a curiosity rather
than a commonly-seen weapon.

Notes: For
reasons that the Chinese have yet to state, Chinese troops are apparently less
than happy with the QBZ-95.For
this reason, a new rifle has been developed, the QBZ-03.It still fires the 5.8mm Chinese round, but has a more conventional
layout instead of being a bullpup like the QBZ-95; in fact, it looks very much
like the earlier Type 87.The
QBZ-03 is not yet in widespread issue and is still regarded as being in the
advanced testing phases by the Chinese, and it is not yet known whether it will
replace or supplement the QBZ-95.

The operation of
the QBZ-03 appears to be based upon that of the Type 81, somewhat updated for
reliability and appropriately modified for the 5.8mm cartridge.The gas block has a 2-position gas regulator; one position is for normal
use, and the other is a gas cutoff for use with non-bullet trap rifle grenades.The selector allows only for semiautomatic or automatic fire, but the
cyclic rate is low enough (650 RPM) that short bursts can be squeezed off with
practice. Unlike the Type 81, the QBZ-03 has a two-piece receiver, with push
pins allowing it to be opened and field-stripped.Construction of the metalwork is largely of stamped steel, with the
stock, pistol grip and handguards being made of polymer.The skeletonized stock is hinged and folds to the right.The rear sight is a flip type adjustable for windage and elevation and is
protected; the front sight is a simple hooded post.Forward of the rear sight is a short proprietary rail which will accept
any optic the Chinese use, as well as several other Eastern and Western types.

Twilight 2000
Notes: QBZ-03 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

QBZ-03

5.8mm Chinese

3.5 kg

30

$591

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

QBZ-03

5

3

1-Nil

4/6

2

6

50

Norinco QBZ-95 (Type 95)

Notes: This is a
new Chinese weapon, based on a new round (5.8x42mm Chinese).This bullpup design was seen in 1996 during the turnover of Hong Kong to
the Chinese PLA.Since then, it has
been the subject of much conjecture from military and firearm sources.It has rarely been seen outside of China, and is believed to be currently
under testing for adoption into the mainstay of the Chinese Peoples’ Liberation
Army.It is known that the weapon
is quite capable of mounting the US-manufactured M-203 grenade launcher, leading
to speculation that China is also developing a copy of that design.It is also reported that the QBZ-95 is capable of firing rifle grenades
as well.The QBZ-95 is part of a
family of weapons that include an assault rifle, a carbine, a squad automatic
weapon, and a sniper rifle.As of
2002, the QBZ-95 is usually only seen in the hands of Chinese troops in Hong
Kong, or special operations troops.
The QBZ-97 is the same weapon chambered for 5.56mm NATO ammunition; there have
been no large-scale sales of the weapon, though Thailand is supposedly very
interested, and Burma/Myanmar has bought small numbers of them.The QBZ-95 uses an 18.2-inch rifle; both the QBZ-95 and QBZ-97 Carbines
have a 14.5-inch barrel.The QBZ-97
has a 19.3-inch barrel.

Recently,
Norinco has begun marketing the QBZ-97A version of the original QBZ-97, though
this version has found no takers as of yet.The QBZ-97A has a bolt hold-open feature (something lacking on other
versions), and uses a 3-round burst mode instead of having a full auto mode.

Twilight 2000
Notes: The QBZ-95 is an extremely rare weapon; it is seen only in the hands of a
very few Chinese special operations forces.The QBZ-97 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 world.

Merc 2000 Notes:
Though rarer than it is in the Notes, the QBZ-95 and QBZ-97 both exist, again
mostly in the hands of special ops troops. (It
is simply cheaper to keep build and maintain parts for more traditional weapons
than a novel new weapon with proprietary ammunition.)The Thais are using a surprising amount of QBZ-97s, and the Filipinos are
also using them in small numbers.
The Myanmars did not have the money to replace most of their stocks of existing
weapons.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

QBZ-95 Assault Rifle

5.8mm Chinese

3.4 kg

30

$559

QBZ-97 Assault Rifle

5.56mm NATO

3.35 kg

30

$579

QBZ-95 Carbine

5.8mm Chinese

2.86 kg

30

$520

QBZ-97 Carbine

5.56mm NATO

3.15 kg

30

$529

QBZ-97A

5.56mm NATO

3.35 kg

30

$579

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

QBZ-95 Assault Rifle

5

3

1-Nil

5

3

6

47

QBZ-97 Assault Rifle

5

3

1-Nil

5

3

6

47

QBZ-95 Carbine

5

3

1-Nil

4

3

6

35

QBZ-97 Carbine

5

3

1-Nil

4

3

6

32

QBZ-97A Assault Rifle

3

3

1-Nil

5

3

4

47

Norinco Type 56

Notes: The Type 56 is
essentially the Chinese equivalent of the AK-47, modified to suit local
manufacturing methods, with slightly looser tolerances for its parts (mostly
from being built sometimes in crude shops early in its Chinese manufacturing
history), and designed to work with parts made from a lesser quality of steel
(again, only at first).The
original versions of the Type 56 were essentially almost exact copies of the
AK-47, but with a permanently-mounted spike-type bayonet which folds under the
barrel, instead of the cleaning rod normally carried under the barrel of the
AK-47.Later versions were built
with better manufacturing methods and were even closer copies of the AKM, though
they still had the folding bayonet instead of the cleaning rod.(These versions were still referred to by the Chinese as “Type 56,”
though the West sometimes called them “Type 56-1,” and that is how I will refer
to it to avoid confusion.)The
furniture of both was always rather poor-quality wood; a version referred to in
the West as “Type 56-2” is the Chinese equivalent of the AKMS, with a folding
metal stock what folds sideways instead of under the weapon as does the folding
stock of the AKMS.(Some Type 56-2s
built in the late-1970s have a folding stock similar to that of the Belgian FNC,
however.)A short version was
also designed in the late 1980s, known as the Type 56C; what the West referred
to as the “Type 56C” used a plastic stock and fore-end and a wooden pistol grip,
while what the West referred to as the “Type 56C-1” has the same folding stock
as the Type 56-2 (though not the FNC-type folding stock of later Type 56-2s).Both have a much shorter 13.65-inch barrel (as opposed to the 16.3-inch
barrel of a standard Type 56), tipped with a small muzzle brake.A version designed only for semiautomatic fire and normally sold only on
the export market (most commonly in the US) are sometimes called the “Type
56-5.”And just to add even more to
the confusion, the entire series (particularly those built after 1973) are
called by some the “M-22,” due to some of the markings on the weapons.Beginning in the mid-1980s, the Chinese also began flooding the world
civilian market with a semiautomatic version of the Type 56-2, called the Type
56S by the Chinese (and about a zillion different names in the different
countries to which it is exported); this version is available with the folding
stock of the Type 56-2 or the wood stock of the Type 56, and can also be found
with a plethora of Chinese-made and aftermarket modifications.The Type 56S has, especially in the US, become the scourge of police
forces, since it is cheap, easily found both on the black market and legally,
and is easily converted to automatic fire.

Though quality
got better over the years, the Type 56 was always worse than the AK-47/AKM.In particular, chroming of the bore and chamber was nonexistent in early
manufacture and often poorly-applied later on, leading to rapid corrosion.The gas system was also often poorly-built, leading to quick fouling.Albanian examples are usually better than Chinese ones, though those made
in Vietnam during the Vietnam War were even worse than Chinese-built ones.The only other license-producer is Bangladesh.

The Type 56
Assault Rifle series is no longer used by regular Chinese forces, though they
have been kept for reserve forces.
In addition, they are some of the most commonly found variants of the AK series
in the world, and can be found in almost any country.Albania still manufactures the Type 56, though they call theirs the
AK-47.The Type 56C saw almost no
use by Chinese troops, because it was designed in the late 1980s largely for
export.None of these rifles should
be confused with the Chinese version of the SKS, which the Chinese called the
Type 56 Carbine.

For many Chinese
troops and export customers, the AKM/Type 56 has a great deal of muscle memory
behind it, given its 51 years of use by the Chinese.However, many export customers want a modernized AK, but firing a more
up-to-date round like the 5,56mm NATO.To this end, Norinco developed the Type 06, which is essentially a Type
56 which has been modernized and manufactured without most of the lumpish
features and poor manufacturing methods of the Type 57 construction. The Type 06
uses largely light alloy in its receiver and polymer in its handguards and
pistol grip and buttplate (coated with rubber in this case). It is an altogether
better version of the Type 56.So
far, no country’s military has bought the Type 06, and Chinese troops are simply
conducting small scale tests of it.
One of the big differences between the Type 56 is the 20-inch barrel of the Type
06.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Type 56

7.62mm Kalashnikov

3.8 kg

30

$797

Type 56-1

7.62mm Kalashnikov

3.3 kg

30

$797

Type 56-2

7.62mm Kalashnikov

3.3 kg

30

$822

Type 56C

7.62mm Kalashnikov

3.5 kg

30

$825

Type 56C-1

7.62mm Kalashnikov

3.5 kg

30

$845

Type 06

5.56mm NATO

4.03 kg

10, 20, 30

$597

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Type 56

5

4

2-Nil

6

3

9

46

Type 56-1

5

4

2-Nil

6

3

9

46

Type 56-2

5

4

2-Nil

4/6

3

9

46

Type 56C

5

3

2-Nil

5

3

7

35

Type 56C-1

5

3

2-Nil

4/5

3

7

35

Type 06

5

3

1-Nil

6

2

6

55

Norinco Type 81

Notes: The Type
81 was originally designed specifically for export, but was later produced in
large numbers to become the Chinese Army’s primary assault rifle, replacing
their aging Type 56 assault rifles.
Though appearing to be a modification and modernization of the Type 56-1, the
Type 81 in fact bears a closer relationship to the Type 63 series of rifles.

The gas
operating system is essentially an updated version of that used in the Type 73
above; however, a cover now protects the formerly open part of the rear of the
operating mechanism.The fire
selector switch is on most of the Type 81 series on the left side of the
receiver above the pistol grip, though the late production Type 81S also has a
secondary safety in the same place as the safety would be found on the SKS, just
behind the trigger; this automatically disengages when the trigger is pulled
back fully and prevents the Type 81S from being accidentally fired if dropped or
bumped.Very early production Type
81s could not accept the AKM/AK-47 magazines of any other country, due to a
radically different feed mechanism; however this was corrected early in
production and most Type 81s can Kalashnikov-type magazines and drums of
virtually any origin, as well as the 15-round magazines of the Type 63 series.Very early production models also had a three-round burst mechanism in
addition to a full automatic setting, but this was also quickly deleted.The sights are standard Type 56-type sights, though modified for use with
the longer barrel.The Type 81 uses
high-impact plastic furniture and steel construction, and has a mount for a
knife-type detachable bayonet.The
17.52-inch barrel is tipped by a flash suppressor which is of the right size for
the launching of Chinese, Russian, former Warsaw Pact, or Pakistani rifle
grenades.The Type 81-1 is a Type
81 with a folding plastic stock instead of a fixed one.Note that for game purposes, the Type 81, Type 81-1, Type 81S, and Type
81S-1 are identical.

Twilight 2000
Notes: The Type 81 was not initially intended to replace the Type 56, but as
millions of troops were raised to fight off the Russian invasion, most Type 81
production was diverted to native Chinese use.It is still not nearly as prevalent as the Type 56 series.

Merc 2000 story:
In addition to Chinese use, the Type 81 has been sold in most corners of the
world, usually in small lots.The
two large foreign sales has been to Thailand and North Korea.

Notes: After the
introduction of smaller-caliber rifles by the US, NATO, and then the Soviet
Union and some of her satellite states, the Chinese began research into their
own version of a small-caliber-firing military rifle.They were, however not totally convinced as to the effectiveness of the
small-caliber military cartridge concept, and not impressed by either the 5.56mm
NATO or 5.45mm Kalashnikov cartridges.The Chinese there decided to develop their own small-caliber military
cartridge, eventually resulting in the 5.8mm Chinese cartridge.

However, the
QBZ-95 series was not the first weapon to be chambered for the new round; before
the QBZ-95, there was the Type 87.
The initial Type 87 was essentially a Type 81 with just enough modifications to
enable it to fire the 5.8mm Chinese cartridge.In addition, the Type 87 was built only in a folding stock version, but
not the same type of folding stock as the Type 81.In addition, the muzzle of the Type 87 has a different flash suppressor.

The Type 87
underwent extensive manufacturer and military evaluation; in addition, it also
underwent limited field training with Chinese troops.Its reliability was found wanting; this is most likely because the gas
system was not modified sufficiently to handle the new cartridge.It was also considered to be too heavy for a small-caliber-firing
military rifle (especially since the Type 87 was
supposed to have been much lighter
than the Type 81).The Type 87 was
therefore quickly withdrawn, without achieving any sort of operational status.

In the late
1980s, the Chinese were still working on the Type 87 and had made a number of
improvements to the rifle.These
improvements let to the Type 87A.
It was a much lighter rifle due to the extensive use of high-impact plastics and
light alloys, and with a modified gas system, it was also much more reliable.A small production run of Type 87A rifles was ordered by the PLA – about
enough to equip one battalion of Chinese Airborne troops, who conducted the
field tests.Though reportedly
quite pleased with the Type 87A, they were trumped by higher command – the PLA
brass didn’t feel that the Type 87A was enough of a technological advance over
the Type 81.The Type 87A was
therefore withdrawn from service, and again never reached any sort of
operational status.The ultimate
fate of the small production run of Type 87As actually built is unknown, but
much of the technology and lessons learned from the Type 87 and Type 87A later
went into developing the QBZ-95 and improving the 5.8mm Chinese cartridge.